USA complete a dramatic comeback against Slovenia to take third place at the Wagner Memorial

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The United States closed the XXIII Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial on the podium after a dramatic comeback against Slovenia, defeating Fabio Soli’s team 3–2 (28:30, 28:26, 17:25, 25:19, 15:11) at the TAURON Arena in Kraków.

It was a fittingly intense conclusion to a tournament that brought together four of the strongest national teams in the world, with the USA and Slovenia meeting on Sunday afternoon with third place at stake.
The Americans entered the match still looking for their first victory of the tournament after defeats against France and Poland. Slovenia were in a similar position, having lost to Poland in five sets and France 3–1.
With both teams still without a win, their final encounter became a direct battle for the final podium position.

And it turned into one of the most entertaining matches of the entire tournament.
Slovenia edged an extraordinarily close opening set 30–28, surviving a long battle in which neither team was able to establish a decisive advantage. The United States responded immediately, taking the second set by the same margin, 28–26, to level the match.
The third set, however, belonged clearly to Slovenia. Soli’s team found greater consistency and pulled away early, eventually winning 25–17 to move within one set of victory.
The Americans refused to surrender.
Their response in the fourth set was decisive. They gradually established control and, despite Slovenia’s attempts to stay within striking distance, closed the set 25–19 to force a deciding fifth set.
The tie-break followed the same pattern. The United States took control of the decisive moments and maintained its advantage through the final exchanges, eventually winning 15–11 and completing the comeback.

The numbers also underline just how hard-fought the match was.
Cooper Robinson led all scorers with 26 points for the United States, playing a key role in the comeback, while Nik Mujanović was once again Slovenia’s main offensive weapon, finishing with 22 points. The two opposites were at the centre of their teams’ attacks as the match stretched beyond two and a half hours.
Robinson’s contribution was particularly important after the USA found themselves one set away from defeat. His scoring helped the Americans regain control in the fourth set and then maintain their composure in the decisive tie-break, while Mujanović continued to carry a significant portion of Slovenia’s offensive workload throughout the match.

The victory earned the USA third place in the tournament, while Slovenia finished fourth.
According to the tournament standings, both teams ended with two points, but the Americans finished ahead on set ratio after collecting four sets to Slovenia’s five wins and eight losses.
For the United States, the result was an important response after a difficult start to the tournament.
The team had opened its campaign with a 3–0 defeat to Olympic champions France before losing 3–1 to hosts Poland.
The Americans therefore needed a victory against Slovenia to avoid finishing the tournament without a win.

The Wagner Memorial also provided valuable preparation ahead of the next major commitments of the international season. The United States is preparing for the NORCECA Men’s Championship in Canada, while Slovenia is approaching the European Championship, which begins in September.
For Slovenia, meanwhile, the tournament offered three demanding matches against elite opposition and another opportunity for Fabio Soli to evaluate his team before EuroVolley.
The final result may not have been what either side wanted at the start of the weekend, but Sunday’s five-set battle provided a fitting ending to three days of high-level volleyball in Kraków.
And for the United States, the message from the final match was clear: even after falling behind, they still had enough resilience to turn the story around.
From 1–2 down to a 3–2 victory, the Americans finished the Wagner Memorial exactly as they needed to — with a comeback, a win and a place on the podium.

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Today’s Results | Sunday August 30, 2026

• 14.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – USA 2-3 (30:28, 26:28, 25:17, 19:25, 11:15)
Slovenia: Pajenk (8), Planinsić, Kozmernik (8), Urnaut (9), Mozić (10), Mujanović (22), Kovacić (libero), Najdić (1), Sen (8), Marovt (1), Braćko (5), Stalekar (2), Ogroglić (libero), Krzić (3)
USA: Jendryk (5), Rowan (4), Robinson (26), Hartke (16), McHenry (2), Ewert (14), Briggs (libero), Garcia, Knigge (8)

• 17.00 (Local Time) | Poland – France 3-1 (22:25, 25:17, 25:15, 25:20)

FULL 2026 PROGRAM HERE

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